The Philadelphia Eagles completely locked down Terry McLaurin in their previous meeting, with rookie corner Quinyon Mitchell limiting the Washington Commanders receiver to just one catch for 10 yards. Vic Fangio's defense has been exceptional, allowing a league-best 173.4 passing yards per game and surrendering the third-fewest receiving yards to receivers lined up out wide. With McLaurin virtually a non-factor on the field, Jayden Daniels looked completely lost in that Week 11 loss to Philly, throwing for only 191 yards and targeting his No. 1 WR just twice. A similar game plan from Fangio should be in the works, forcing Daniels to rely on secondary options. Noah Brown and Zach Ertz will likely see increased targets as the Eagles focus on neutralizing 'Scary Terry'.
Barkley has eclipsed 100 yards in nine of 14 starts this season, including tallying 146 yards on 26 carries in the first meeting against the Washington Commanders. Although he had a bit of a down game last week with just 65 yards on 19 carries, he was facing an elite Pittsburgh Steelers stop unit. Meanwhile, Washington has already allowed 96+ yards to James Conner, Derrick Henry, D’Andre Swift, and Barkley in 2024. Bank on Saquon to flex his muscles early and often in this NFC East clash.
Any concern about A.J. Brown and Jalen Hurts' so-called "rift" was put to bad last week as the All-Pro wideout was targeted 11 times and caught eight passes for 110 yards and a touchdown in a convincing 27-13 win over Pittsburgh. More of a track meet will be expected on Sunday when the Eagles take on the Washington Commanders, who love to play aggressively and push the ball downfield with Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin. Brown will be a good counter to the Commanders' offense, as the three-time Pro Bowler specializes in exploiting blitz packages, targeted at a Top-15 rate when defenses bring the heat. Facing a Washington defense that ranks 23rd in coverage grade at PFF, I'm backing Brown to have a field day in Landover.